1 Kings 13:9-19

9 When the LORD spoke to me, he commanded me not to eat or drink or go back on the same road I took."

10 So the man of God left on another road and didn't go back on the road he had taken to Bethel.

11 An old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons told him everything the man of God did in Bethel that day and the exact words he had spoken to the king. When they told their father,

12 he said to them, "Which road did he take?" (His sons had seen which road the man of God from Judah had taken.)

13 The old prophet told his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." After they had saddled the donkey for him, he got on it.

14 He went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. The old prophet asked him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" "Yes," he answered.

15 "Come home with me, and eat a meal," the old prophet replied.

16 The man of God said, "I'm not allowed to go back with you. I'm not allowed to eat or drink with you.

17 When the LORD spoke to me, he told me not to eat or drink there or go back on the road I took to get there."

18 The old prophet said, "I'm also a prophet, like you. An angel spoke the word of the LORD to me. He said, 'Bring him home with you so that he may have something to eat and drink.'" (But the old prophet was lying.)

19 The man of God went back with him and ate and drank in his home.

1 Kings 13:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 13

In this chapter is an account of a man of God being sent to exclaim against Jeroboam's altar, and threaten its destruction, of which he gave a sign, which was accomplished, and with it the withering of the king's hand, which was healed upon the prophet's prayer for him, 1Ki 13:1-7, who would have entertained him at his house, but he refused the offer, and departed, 1Ki 13:8-10, but an old prophet in Bethel hearing of him, rode after him, and fetched him back to eat bread with him, through a lie he told him, 1Ki 13:11-19 upon which the word came to the old prophet, threatening the man of God with death for disobeying his command, and which was accordingly executed by a lion that met him in the way, and slew him, 1Ki 13:20-24, of which the old prophet being informed, went and took up his carcass, and buried it in his own sepulchre, where he charged his sons to bury him also when dead, believing that all the man of God had said would be fulfilled, 1Ki 13:25-30 and the chapter is closed with observing the continuance of Jeroboam in his idolatry, 1Ki 13:33,34.